Developing a project management case study from history

Procter, CT; Kozak-Holland, MP

Abstract

Peter Morris argues that the depth of understanding of one’s history is a measure of the maturity of a discipline (Morris, 2013). By this measure Project Management is an immature discipline. The consequence of this is a significant gap between theory and practice, where research has little impact, and where project failures are repeated in a cycle of tragedy and farce. As Geraldi and Soderlund (2012) eloquently suggest, by revisiting our past we can create the future. Historical case studies empower us to expand our knowledge base beyond prescriptive bodies of knowledge, potentially breaking cycles of project failure.
This paper outlines known historical case studies, showing their relevance to contemporary project management. Research into these projects is not unique but the application of a project management lens is new. The paper provides a description of the methods and techniques of research used, which can be adapted by students of project management to develop their own case studies of direct relevance to their own contexts and societies.

Citation

Procter, C., & Kozak-Holland, M. (2015, September). Developing a project management case study from history. Presented at British Academy of Management Conference (2015), Portsmouth

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: British Academy of Management Conference (2015)
• Conference Location: Portsmouth
• Start Date: Sep 8, 2015
• End Date: Sep 11, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 12, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 12, 2018
• Publisher URL: https://www.bam.ac.uk/civicrm/event/info?id=2886
• Related Public URLs: http://conference.bam.ac.uk/BAM2015/htdocs/conference_papers.php?track_name= Management and Business History
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference